The NBA has fined Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball $100,000 for making an “offensive and derogatory comment” in a postgame interview following Saturday’s 115-114 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
League officials did not specify which comment elicited the fine, but Ball did controversially say “no homo” while describing his team’s defense in the final possession of the win.
The six-figure fine is the largest allowed for a postgame comment under the league’s collective bargaining agreement. Ball posted a face-palm emoji on X after the league announced the punishment.
Ball, 23, is averaging a career-best 29.6 points per game this season.
The NBA has dished out a handful of fines for perceived homophobic behavior in recent years. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards $40,000 in 2022 for using anti-gay language in an Instagram video. Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas was also fined $40,000 in 2023 for saying “no homo” in his own postgame interview.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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